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It would be great to hear some comments about the new SuperNatural piano sound by Roland. So if you have tried it yet, share your experinces with us. Comments about the HP300-series are also welcome of course

In that video, the hoarse-voiced gal (how many packs did she smoke that day?) says something about the key action being a "triple strike mechanism" which to me is just confusing terminology, as triple strike generally means 3 velocity layers. And saying it uses V-Piano technology just makes me scratch my head when they are discussing a sampler. Wah?

Yeah, I noticed the triple-strike comment. I assumed they meant "triple sensor". I too like the piano sound a lot - very expressive, going from warm and mellow for soft playing to thin and metallic for forte playing.

I've just played it and compared it with the V-Piano. I got the impression that while the V-Piano feels much better and you can control the sound better and be more expressive, the HP 307's sound is richer and a little better. However, I still favor the V-Piano over the 307, it's just more fun to play.

Well I own the an RD-700GX and though it's doesn't have the new PHAIII keyboard, it does have the PHAII which was/is remarkably impressive compared to what else is out, especially vs. the CP300/S-90ES/XS.

Originally Posted By: Masume

I've just played it and compared it with the V-Piano. I got the impression that while the V-Piano feels much better and you can control the sound better and be more expressive, the HP 307's sound is richer and a little better. However, I still favor the V-Piano over the 307, it's just more fun to play.

Yeah after I bought my RD-700GX last year, I went and played on the V-Piano for about an hour and a half at a local music store. I was immediately impressed with the touch and responsiveness for an electric piano. Roland has done a bang up job on it's line of digital pianos. I'm not sure the V-Piano is worth its steep price though. It should retail for $2499. They'd sell out of them for that price.

BTW, anyone know if Roland will offer the same tri-pedal set, that comes with the V-Piano, for the RD-700GX??

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Yamaha AvantGrand N1Nord Piano 2

"Be who you are and say how you feel. Because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

Just curious what you mean by "feels much better" since I understand both to have the same PHAIII keyboard? [Not that I can afford v-piano, but it looks like a neat product.]

I didn't mean the actual tactile response of the keyboard, I couldn't even tell the difference between PHA II and PHA III when i compared the two, I meant the V-Pianos responsiveness. How small difference in touch result in small difference in tone. I find it a bit hard to discribe. I would maybe say you're more connected to the piano and to the music it produces (I know, that sentence is nonsense, but maybe you get what I mean). You can just be more expressive and thus playing it feels different from playing other digital pianos.

I agree. There is a big difference in the sense-response-sense feedback loop when playing the VPiano compared side-by-side playing the HP-307, despite both having the PHA-III keybed. Much less difference then when I play my Korg SP-200 with its on board sounds compared to connecting it to PianoTeq, but the difference is there. Also, for me, the HP-307 feels more "hollow": as if the keyboard were mounted on a folded cardboard packing box compared to the more solid feeling of the VPiano on a good stand.

Yes, the HP-307 comes with the 'supernatural' sound, so you wouldn't have to buy anything extra.

By the way, take a look at the following website and you'll see that it indicates that a number of other products also have 'supernatural', so it is already extending beyond the HP line (e.g. DP-990F, etc...).

Just curious whether it is always noticable/audible that the V-Piano is fully modelled vs. the HP307 which is at least partly based on sampling. Or does this only mean that the V-Piano has more flexibility in sound sculpting? Are there any insights available that explain the technical differences in Supernatural implementation?

I've owned a V-Piano and now a Roland HP-307 and a Supernatural equipped RD-700GX. For what it's worth I marginally prefer the 307 to the RD.

The V-Piano has a phenomenal range of parameters to adjust and is a fantastically dynamic, expressive piano. However, the sound is rather processed sounding and synthetic in the mid-range. They have updated it and the update was an improvement (they added four new patches) but the basic tonal character of the thing did not really change.

I think Supernatural is effectively samples but with some modelled elements. I think the point is that the modelling is there to amend the BEHAVIOUR of the piano, not its SOUND if that makes sense. So it promises (and delivers) no audible looping or velocity layers. I assume they have some different sort of sample selection/playback technology. It is very effective.

However, the tonal character is identifiably Roland...not at all like the V-Piano to my ears, but Roland nonetheless and it is the basic tonal character of any piano that is the key to whether you like it or not.

I think the ideal product would be something using V-Piano technology (ie, pure modelling) but with a more organic sounding timbre.

owever, the tonal character is identifiably Roland...not at all like the V-Piano to my ears, but Roland nonetheless and it is the basic tonal character of any piano that is the key to whether you like it or not.

Well said, Steve, and that "tonal character" that we each look for in a digital, could be result of many things, from the pianos we grew up listening to on recordings, to the one we learned to play on, to the quality we dream of having.

I wish I could graft the HP-307 sound on to the CP-series warm CF, and have it all as simple to use, portable, and as inexpensive as a Yamaha P-155.

Of course, they way things are moving so fast these past years, with the introduction first, of sample playing, then physical modeling, and now, the various hybrids of both, we are seeing a new breed of instruments that already make using software pianos unnecessary, or at least much less an option.

The Avant Grand is exploring even more new ideas.

Already the HP-307, CP-1/5 are becoming the standards other pianos from Kawai and Korg are being measured against, and it won't be long before they catch up, and maybe even surpass the aforementioned instruments.

Certainly it will be a buyer's paradise, and all this competition is only benefiting the players, both newbies and pros.

After installing the supernatural piano kit expansion board on a rd700gx, would it would very similar to a Roland HP-307?Unfortunately i can't try out either since no one around me carries the HP-307 or a rd700gx with the expansion card installed. The HP 307 default piano tone sounds very good ( i personally don't like the expressive grand on the rd700gx all that much....Grand RD is better in my opinion)